Video: How is Alcohol Made? - Types & Production Methods

Alcoholic beverages are produced in different ways. This has an impact on the alcohol content of the beverage. This lesson will explore ethanol and discuss how different alcoholic beverages are produced.2015-04-03

Lisa has taught at all levels from kindergarten to college and has a master's degree in human relations.

Alcoholic beverages are produced in different ways. This has an impact on the alcohol content of the beverage. This lesson will explore ethanol and discuss how different alcoholic beverages are produced.

What is Alcohol?

Let's play a game. I'll give you some facts and you will try to guess what I'm talking about.

It's a colorless liquid.

It's sometimes used as a fuel.

It's sometimes used as an industrial solvent.

It's sometimes used as a disinfectant.

It can be poisonous.

It catches on fire easily.

Many people drink it.

I'm of course talking about alcohol.

As you may have guessed, there's more than one type of alcohol. Some types of alcohol aren't used for drinking and are very poisonous if ingested. An example is isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, that's used as a medical disinfectant. I'd also suggest you avoid drinking any types of alcohol used as industrial solvents or fuel.

The kind of alcohol people drink is called ethyl alcohol or ethanol. Many popular beverages contain ethanol. Two categories of alcoholic beverages based on how they are made are fermented beverages and distilled beverages. There are also hybrid alcoholic beverages.

No matter how an alcoholic beverage is produced, the ethanol in each kind of drink is the same drug. However, different types of beverages have different concentrations of ethanol. It's important to know how much a beverage contains before you drink it, so that you know the dosage of the ethanol that you're ingesting.

Fermented Beverages

Fermented beverages are produced through the process of fermentation. Fermentation in the case of alcoholic beverages refers to a metabolic process by which yeast converts sugar to ethanol. Yeast is a type of fungus used in the fermentation of alcohol. In order for fermentation to take place, you begin with some type of carbohydrate that is needed to feed the yeast. The type of carbohydrate used determines what the final product will be.

Let's look at some examples. Beer is produced by fermenting grain. Wine or hard cider is produced by fermenting fruit. Mead is produced by fermenting honey. Milk and tree or plant sap can be used to produce fermented beverages as well.

There is a limit to the alcoholic content of fermented beverages because yeast cannot survive in alcohol. Once the concentration of ethanol produced by the fermentation process reaches about 15%, the yeast will die and fermentation process will end.

Distilled Beverages

In order to produce beverages above the concentration of ethanol achieved through fermentation, a distillation process is used. Distillation of alcoholic beverages is the process by which water is removed from a mixture of ethanol and water.

During distillation, the difference in the boiling points of water and alcohol is used to separate the two liquids from each other. Ethanol has a lower boiling point, so when heated, it will evaporate more easily. The evaporated steam is then cooled back into a liquid with a higher concentration of ethanol. The distilled beverage is then usually aged for a period of time before drinking. This adds to the flavor of the beverage.

A typical concentration of ethanol in a distilled alcoholic beverage is around 40%, but this can vary greatly. Let's look at some examples of distilled beverages. Brandy is made by distilling wine. Whiskey is made by distilling a specific type of beer. Rum is made by distilling the molasses left over when sugar is extracted from sugarcane. Vodka is made by distilling fermented potato juice or grains like wheat or rye. Tequila is made by distilling fermented agave, a plant similar to asparagus.

Hybrid Beverages

Fermented and distilled beverages obtain most of their flavor from the process which produces the alcohol. However, after an alcoholic beverage is produced, it can be mixed, and things can be added to it. These beverages are called hybrid beverages. The ethanol concentration of a hybrid beverage varies.

Let's look at some examples of hybrid beverages. Fortified wines are a blend of fermented and distilled beverages. Port wine and sherry are examples of fortified wine. Liqueurs are made by adding flavorings and sugars to distilled liquors. There are a large number of flavored liqueurs. Well-known examples are crème de menthe or amaretto.

Flavored spirits are made by infusing a distilled beverage with some type of flavor. Unlike liqueurs, flavored spirits don't have added sugar or juices. Gin is a type of flavored spirit made by producing distilled liquor and then infusing it with herbs.

Lesson Summary

Many people enjoy drinking alcohol, but there's more than one type of alcohol. Some types of alcohol are not used for drinking and are very poisonous if ingested. The kind of alcohol people drink is called ethyl alcohol or ethanol. There are different ways to make alcoholic beverages, but all alcoholic beverages contain ethanol.

Fermented beverages are produced through the process of fermentation, a metabolic process by which yeast converts sugar to ethanol. Beer, wine, hard cider, and mead are examples of fermented beverages.

Distillation is the process by which water is removed from a mixture of ethanol and water. During distillation, alcohol and water are separated from each other using the difference in their boiling points. The end result is a beverage with a much higher concentration of ethanol. Brandy, whiskey, rum, vodka, and tequila are examples of distilled beverages.

When fermented and distilled beverages are mixed or have things added to them, a hybrid beverage is made. The ethanol concentration of a hybrid beverage varies. Fortified wines, liqueurs, and flavored spirits are examples of hybrid beverages.

Summary:

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